Increasing the density of passenger seats on a commercial aircraft can increase the amount of revenue that an airline can generate on a per flight basis, if the additional seats are sold. One way to increase seating density involves reducing the dimensions of the seats themselves. Another way to increase seating density involves reducing the space between adjacent seats. However, both of these techniques can reduce passenger comfort and demand for such seating, which can work against the goal of increased revenue. For example, passengers might find it intolerable if adjacent seats are placed too close together or if the seats themselves are too small. This might be especially true for “business class” passengers who presumably are willing to pay a premium for increased comfort and convenience. Additionally, there is a limit to how dense seating can be based on the size of the passengers. Thus, in many situations, it might be difficult to increase revenue by increasing seating density.
Airlines can also increase revenue by increasing the comfort and convenience of existing passenger seating without changing seating density. Many existing business class seat pans have a limited width because the seat pan is sized to slide into a footwell in front of the seat for lay flat capability. Thus, a need exists for a wider seat pan that could make the seat more comfortable and accommodate larger passengers without decreasing seating density or adversely affecting lay flat capability.